GUWAHATI, August 7: The Phralung Buddhist Tribal Youths' Organisation has chalked out a 10-point programme for the uplift of the Phralung Buddhist community of Assam. The organisation was set up on December 2, 1998 on the occasion of the 770th foundation anniversary of Assam with its headquarters at the Patsako Central Thai Academy in Sibsagar district. The programme of the organisation includes establishment of Buddhist monasteries, temples, prayer halls, libraries and Pali and Thai educational institutions and construction of buildings for the purpose of housing the socio-cultural and...

GUWAHATI, August 7: The Assam government, the Planning Commission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the preparation of a state human development report (HDR) for Assam. The MoU was signed by the state Chief Secretary PK Bora, Planning Commission advisor Dr Rohini Nayar and senior Deputy Resident of UNDP in India, Richard Conroy, at a workshop on human development organised by the state government. The report will provide a realistic assessment of the current status of human development, highlight areas of progress and...

AGARTALA, August 7: The Centre has earmarked Rs 200 crore to augment sub-transmission and the distribution network in the seven Northeast states. The North Eastern Regional Electricity Board (NEREB chairman and Tripura power minister Badal Chowdhury and other state power ministers today said they would jointly take up outstanding issues of power sector of the region with the Union power minister in November. The region's resources were yet to be properly utilised, though the region could generate 60,000 MW hydel power and meet with the northeastern, eastern and central India's power...

AGARTALA, August 7-The seven Northeast states have jointly urged the underground militant outfits of the region not to hinder developmental works. A resolution to this effect was passed at the 46th meeting of the North Eastern Regional Electricity Board (NEREB) here yesterday. Power ministers from Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and deputy chief minister of Mizoram, also holding the power portfolio, attended the meeting. The NEREB chairman and Tripura power minister Badal Chowdhury told newsmen here today that all the seven power ministers expressed concern over...

AGARTALA, August 6: Four senior Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leaders were today kidnapped by militants of the outlawed National Liberation Front of Twipra (NLFT) in Dhalai district, the police said. Two armed militants stormed a school run by the RSS nearly 82 miles away from the district headquarters and kidnapped the leaders at gun-point when they were inspecting the school without their securitymen.